Bearing



July 20,1943. 1.5. MERCHANT 2324,1563

BEARING Filed Dec. 13, 1941 Patented Jul 20, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BEARING John S. Merchant, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio Application December 13, 1941, Serial No. 422,821

6 Claims.

This invention relates to bearing structures, and in particular relates to m-arine'or like bearing structures in which a shaft or other part is relatively rotatable in a water-lubricated cylindrical rubber bearing.

Heretofore, bearing structures for marine propeller shafts, for example, have usually comprised a housing secured to the stern post of a vessel, this housing having a water-lubricated rubber bearing removably and replaceably retained thereinfor rotatably receiving a propeller shaft. One difllculty encountered with this type of structure has been that when the rubber of the propeller shaft was subjected to excessive torsional strain at the outer end thereof, between the propeller and the bearing, particularly upon the rubber bearing surface becoming worn, the shaft tended to whip r lash, whereby excessive vibration was transmitted through the shaft to other parts of the vessel.

Furthermore, in the past, water-lubricated rubber bearings have usually comprised a rubber or like sleeve vulcanized or otherwise bonded to a metal reinforcing or backing sleeve. Such hearing were relatively expensive to manufacture due to the fact that both the metal and the rubber sleeve required machining and other special treatment for satisfactorily bonding the rubber to the metal. Additional machining on both the inner and outer peripheries of the finished bearing was frequently necessary for fitting the same to a specific housing and shaft. Also, no adjustment could be made for wear on the rubber bearing sleeve, and hence it was necessary to replace the bearing whenever such wear caused substantial vibration. Another serious difliculty arose from the fact that the adhesion or bond between the rubber and metal sleeves of the bearing frequently became broken, thereby resulting in extensive damage to the bearing structure and associated parts.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved marine or like hearing structure in which a shaft is relatively rotatable in a waterlubricated rubber bearing mounted in a bearing housing, and including auxiliary water-lubricated rubber bearing means for preventing or minimizing vibration due to excessive torsional strain between the shaft and the first-named bearing. I

Another object of the inventio is to provide a water-lubricated rubber hearing which is simple and economical to manufacture, particularly because of the elimination of the usual metal reinforcing or backing sleeve which thereby ob,-

viates machining to produce such backing sleeve, and because the improved bearing requires a minimum of machining to install in a bearing structure. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a rubber or like hearing which, once installed in a bearing structure, may be adjusted from time to time for wear on the rubber bearing surface thereby obviating the usual necessity of replacing the bearing before a substantial thickness of rubber is worn away.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rubber bearing for the purposes described, having longitudinally yieldable reinforcing means embedded therein which resists torsional strain applied thereto substantially uniformly in either direction.

These and other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawing.

Of the accompanying drawing: v

Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-section, partly broken away, through a bearing structure embodying the features of the invention for use with tures, and illustrating the manner of reinforcing the same.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral Ill designates a marine propeller shaft journalled in a cylindrical bearing H of rubber or like resilient material and of improved construction as .will be described in detail later, this bearing being removably retained in a bore l2 constituting an enlargement of a central shaft-receiving aperture I3 in a sleeve-like portion l4 of 'a bearing housing l5. The housing I 5, for illustrative purposes, is shown secured to a wooden stern post iii of a vessel, as by means of screws I! extending through flanges I8, l8 on the housing into the stern post.

The improved bearing Il may comprise a continuous sleeve formed of vulcanized rubber or like resilient or elastic material, of sufficient wall thickness to give desired stiffness for supporting the shaft l 2, circumferentially spaced grooves l9, l9 being provided on the inner periphery to define a plurality of longitudinal flutes 20, 20 providing relatively wide shaft bearing surfaces. The grooves 19 permit passage of water through the bearing for lubricating the same, as will be 2 assaaeea described later. Other knownarrangemenis of bearing surface grooving or scoring for waterlubricating purposes may be utilized, as for example as shown in Patent No. 1,4 6,988, issued by various known methods, as for example by fabricating layers of rubber into a length of tubing on a mandrel (not shown)- havingdesired shape for forming the grooves I9 in the sleeve I I, coil springs 2 I, 22 being arranged between certain layers as desired, vulcanizing the tubing-in a known manner while still on the mandrel, and removing the tubing from the mandrel and cutting it to desired shorter lengths for bearings.

The tubing may also be produced in a known manner by vulcanizing in a cavity mold, with the spring or springs incorporated therein. The springs 2I, 22 may be treated with adhesive cement or other bonding coat for providing a bond between the metal spring andthe rubber of the bearing. Figure 3 illustrates a length of tubing, made in accordance with the invention, before it is cut into lengths for bearings II.

The bearing II preferably is formed with two oppositely spiralling coil springs 2I, 22 in the rubber wall thereof, the spring 2| being concentrically arranged within a spring 22 of smaller diameter (see Figure 3). The purpose of the oppositely spiralling arrangement of the coil springs is so that the yielding resistance of the bearing" I being provided in theouter face of the cap to receive corresponding prongs of a suitable turning tool (not shown). The central aperture 25 of the cap 25. and the aperture I3 in the sleeve are of such diameters, larger than shaft I0, as to permit free passage of lubricating water through the grooves I9 of hearing I I. An annular flange 25 may be provided on cap 25 to extend opposite the outer end of sleeve I4 for a purpose to be described later.

The cap 25 may be threaded inwardly in sleeve I4 to apply pressure to the outer end of sleeve II, thereby engaging the latter between the cap and ashoulder 32 formed at the inner end of recess' I2. As vulcanized rubber is incompressible in confined space, the wall of the bearing is expanded against both the shaft I0 and inner periphery of the sleeve. Thus pressure may be applied to the bearing by the cap as desired to expand the bearing to fit tightly in said sleeve to be non-rotatable therein, and atthe same time by such expansion to adjust the inside diameter of the bearing to the shaft ID with proper turning clearance. Of course, the outer periphery of the The strength and pitch of the springs,

rubber bearing ii may be machined or ground if necessary for proper fitting of the bearing to the shaft upon expanding the wall of the hearing as described. To assure against relative rotation of bearing l i in housing it, the inner end of the former may have one or more recesses cut in the inner edge thereof for reception of a block or projection 56 integral with the sleeve i at the inner end of bore 62.

For locking the cap 25 against turning relative to housing I5, which may be caused by vibration of the bearing structure or torsional strain on rubber hearing I I, a set screw 25 may be engaged through an aperture in the flange 25 of cap 25, and screwed in one of a series of threaded apertures Id -in the outer end of sleeve I4 of the housing. By this means the cap cannot accidentally become unscrewed to allow the bearing I I to contract toward normal shape, due to its inherent resiliency, and thereby to become loose in the housing or to permit too much clearance for the shaft II.

A propeller 29 is retained on a reduced tapered extension 30 on the outer end of shaft II), by means of a nut 3| on a reduced threaded portion 32 on the end of extension 30, and the propeller is keyed against rotation on extension 30 by means of a key 33.

It is known that in a structure of the type described the propeller shaft I0 may be subjected to relatively great strain in the region between the propeller and the outer end of hearing II. This strain is accentuated when the propeller is turning against a heavy load, under which circumstances the bearing II may wear unevenly, or the shaft may even break and cause serious delays before repairs can be made. To

' obviate these difficulties there may be provided tion of member 34.

mally submerged in water.

a cylindrical member 34 having a bore therein of greater diameter than a reduced outer end portion M on sleeve I4, the member 34 being keyed on shaft extension 30 by means of being engaged between the hub of the propeller and a shoulder 36 at the junction of shaft II and its reduced extension 30. The reduced end N of sleeve I4 is received within the bore 35 with a clearance between the inner end of the bore and the outer face of adjusting cap 25, so that the latter cannot be disturbed by rota- Bonded by known methods to the inner periphery of the bore 35 may be a rubber or like sleeve 31 which rotatably receives the reduced portion I4 of sleeve I4.

The bearing surface of cylindrical rubber bearing 31 is provided with spaced longitudinal grooves 31, substantially like bearing II, for passage of water therethrough for lubricating said bearing surface. A plurality of apertures 38 are provided in the wall of member 34 for passage of water to both bearings II and 31. If desired, the bearing 31 may be constructed with one or more coil springs embedded therein in the manner of bearing II, in which case suitable adjusting means similar to the cap 25 may be provided. Under certain conditions it may be desirable to omit the auxiliary bearing 34.

In use the bearing structure, of course, is nor- Flowing through the inlets 38 in auxiliary bearing member 34, and through inlets 40 in housing I5, the water passes into the grooves I9 and 3'! of the bearings II and 37, respectively, to lubricate the bearing surfaces thereof. Water also reaches the grooves of bearing 31 from the unobstructed inner end thereof. When it is required to adjust the bearing II for wear, the propeller 29 and bearing 34 are removed from the propeller shaft and set screw is removed to permit turning the cap 25 inwardly to expand the sleeve ll against the shaft, as previously described. Should the auxiliary bearing be omitted from the bearing structure, bearing ll could be adjusted for wear without removing the propeller, and in some circumstances this adjustment may even be made without removing the vessel from the water.

Thus has been provided an improved waterlubricated, marine or like bearing structure, which is adapted effectively to accomplish the stated objects of the invention.

Modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bearing structure for marine or like pro eller shafts, comprising a housing, a bearing of rubber or like material in said housing, a propeller shaft J'ournalled in said bearing and hav ing a propeller thereon at an end of the shaft adjacent said housing, a member secured to said shaft intermediate said propeller and said housing, said housing and said member having cylindrical cooperating walls in radially spaced relation, a bearing of rubber or like resilient material mounted between said cooperating walls, and means for supplying lubricating liquid to said bearings.

2. A hearing structure comprising a relative-' ly fixed member, a bearing of rubber or like resilient material in said fixed member, a member relatively rotatable in said bearing, adjustable means for applying pressure between the ends of said bearing yieldingly to expand the wall thereof against said fixed and said rotatable members, said fixed member having a cylindrical bearing surface radially outwardly of said bearing, auxiliary bearing means carried by said rotatable member and having a cylindrical wall in radially outwardly spaced relation to said cylindrical bearing surface on said fixed member, a bearing of rubber or like resilient material between said cylindrical wall and said cylindrical bearing surface, and means for supplying liquid lubrication to the bearing surfaces of both said bearings.

3. A hearing comprising a continuous sleeve of rubber or like resilient material, said sleeve having a pair of coil springs embedded concentrically in the wall thereof and one within the other, said springs spirally in opposite directions, said spring being yieldable longitudinally of the the rubber of said sleeve being bonded to said,

spring, said coil spring being yieldable longi tudinally of said sleeve with the inherent resiliency of said material thereof.

5. A fluid-lubricated bearing structure comprising a housing having a cylindrical bore and a shoulder portion at one end of the bore, a cylindrical bearing sleeve of rubber or like elastic or resilient material received in said bore, said sleeve having a longitudinally yieldable reinforcement secured thereto, a cylindrical element relatively rotatably received through said sleeve, a cap longitudinally adjustably mounted on said housing at the other end of said bore, said cap having a portion engageable with the adjacent end of the sleeve and being longitudinally adjustable to apply pressure to the sleeve against the inherent resiliency thereof between the cap and said shoulder to expand the wall of the sleeve against said housing and said rotatable element, and means for preventing rotation of said sleeve relative to said housing, said sleeve having grooving on the bearing surface thereof for passage of lubricating fluid from one end of the sleeve to the other, said cap and said a housing being apertured for entry and exit of the lubricating fluid through the grooving of said sleeve.

6. A fluid-lubricated bearing structure comprising a housing having a cylindrical bore and a shoulder portion at one end of the bore, a cylindrical bearing sleeve of rubber or like elastic or resilient material received in said bore, said sleeve having a longitudinally yieldable reinforcement secured thereto, a cylindrical element relatively rotatably received through said sleeve, a cap longitudinally adjustably mounted on said housing at the other end of said bore, said cap having a portion engageable with the adjacent end of the sleeve and being longitudinally adjustable to apply pressure to the sleeve against the inherent resiliency thereof between the cap and said shoulder to expand the wall of the sleeve against said housing and said rotatable element, and means for locking said cap against longitudinal adjustment on said housing, said sleeve having grooving on the bearing surface 

